"One Stop Shopping" - God’s Equipping Word!

Sermon Notes from 2 Tim. 3:14-17

The sacred & singularly sufficient Scriptures are God’s sculpting tool used to shape His people for service. Believers are to learn & live in God’s word, allowing it to instruct, rebuke, correct & train us in righteousness so we may serve God. As times get hard, and they will, we must stay faithful to God’s word all the more, ala 2 Timothy 3.

When mentoring Timothy, Paul wrote letters to encourage, challenge, and instruct him. Timothy was urged to stay true to God’s Word. The last days would be tough, evil men would seek to mislead people. He needed to abide in God’s sure word, of which he had been convinced and committed. God’s sacred, Spirit-given truth would thoroughly prepare him to do the ministry he was called to fulfill. It will do the same for us. Let’s study & benefit from 2 Timothy 3.


* Dire Warnings: 1 "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days… 8 … so also these men oppose the truth


* Stark Contrasts: 10 "You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life… 11 persecutions, sufferings… 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (NIV)


* The Command: Continue in the Word: 14 "You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them … NASV


God’s Scriptures Described & Deployed: (vs. 15-17)

* It is to be taught to Children: 15… from childhood you have known…
* It is Sacred, Holy, Different, Unique: the sacred writings
* Wisdom-Giving: are able to give you the wisdom… (Ps. 19; 119)
* The only source of knowledge of Salvation: wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
* God-breathed, from God: 16 All Scripture is inspired by God

* Profitable to Prepare God’s People to Serve:
and profitable…

* It uses a Powerful Process to Shape us:
and profitable

for teaching,

for reproof,

for correction,

for training in righteousness;


* It Produces a Prized Product:
17 so that the man of God

may be adequate, (i.e proficient, competent)

equipped for every good work. (NASV) (i.e stocked, fully outfitted)



How much do you value God’s word? Is it a first source for wisdom & guidance?

Do you continue in it: meditating upon, learning & obeying it (Ps. 1: Josh. 1:1-9)?

Are you using your training to serve others? Do you trust your readiness?

Wield the sword of truth (Eph. 6:17).

Trust God that He’s prepared you (2 Cor. 3:4-6).